One Word
by CrazilyRandom
Summary: It is amazing, really, how much one word can change everything. An episode tag to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," But AU, in which the woman he was describing on the video was Lisbon.


**A/N: So, I had this idea in my head since the episode. BUT, I never really got around to writing it. Besides my usual doubts, (What if no one wanted to read it?) I had several projects, and I thought that it was one idea that could simply go away. Then, a couple of days ago, I was bored, and instead of working on one of my stories, as I should have been, I wandered over to the 'Mentalist Writing Ideas' forum. On there was a request from someone whose Pen-Name was Mrs. Peeta, asking for this same story. And thus, I decided that I would write it. And so, here it is!**

**Disclaimer: Um…Is this not obvious? If I owned it, he would have been talking about her!**

Lisbon glanced around. She knew this case had been kind of hard for Jane, and while she had paperwork to fill out, she was really worried about him. A few moments passed, before she decided to go check on him.

She swiftly went to the attic.

Stepping into it, she called, "Jane?" When she got no response, she worriedly asked, "Are you in here?"

No response still. But before she could worry too much, something caught her eye, reminding her of the irritating, annoying side of Jane.

"Ah, there's my laptop." She wondered what he wanted with it, but decided it didn't matter.

She walked over to it, picked it up, and was ready to go, when she realized that his laptop was set up next to it, and there was a video on the screen, all ready to play.

She recognized the background, and realized that Jane had made a video for the matchmaking company.

She glanced around quickly, before clicking 'play.'

Onscreen, Jane began, "Uh, I'm looking for someone who, uh…"

She immediately recognized the look in his eyes. She didn't see it much, usually only when he was talking about Red John, although occasionally she would see it when they were just talking, just the two of them: Honesty. He wasn't hiding anything. He was really describing his dream woman.

"Someone I can trust, someone strong, someone at peace with themselves..."

Lisbon's heart broke for her friend. He was in love with the person he was describing, that much was clear. And he had only been in love once, she knew: With Angela. And then he had lost her. Suddenly, she had a better idea of why he wanted to kill Red John.

"Someone better than me…"

Lisbon felt tear prick at her eyes. _He never did anything to deserve losing this woman, _she thought angrily.

"Someone who's seen the worst sides of me, and still loves me."

Lisbon's thoughts echoed the murderess's on the screen: "She sounds like an amazing woman."

Jane smiled, and Lisbon couldn't help but smile at the screen.

"She is."

_Is? _Lisbon's heart started pounding. _When-how-who-what on earth?_

"Hey, Lis-"

She looked up, startled. Jane was standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with panic.

Jane's mind was working extremely fast. She had watched the video; he could see it in her eyes. And the woman he described was very specific. It didn't fit many people. After all, not many people had seen the worst sides of him. In fact, most people hadn't seen anything besides his cheerful façade. She had to know he was talking about her, didn't she?

"Lisbon…" _Of_ _course, _he thought, _this would be the time that my wonderful skills of wit and getting out of situations would simply die._

She looked at him, amazement in her eyes, and perhaps, he noted, a bit of hurt. He wondered why. Her mouth was moving, but no words were coming out. He waited. _Maybe what she says will give me an out,_ he thought.

Finally she palled herself together enough to ask one word: "Who?"

And every reason he had to not want her to know vanished. He couldn't think of a single one.

He just wanted her to understand how important she was.

"Lisbon…who did it sound like?"

She looked at him, surprised. _Why didn't he just tell me her name?_

"Angela. At least, until…" He had told her bits and pieces about Angela and Charlotte over time, and she had filed each word away to memory, hoping that eventually she would be able to explain why they wouldn't want him to kill Red John.

He looked at her, amusement and actual fear both filling him. "Ok, let's go through each thing one at a time, and see if you can figure it out."

That same irritated expression that always appeared in her eyes when he tried to get her to play guessing games appeared then, and he felt slightly relieved that it did. It meant that she still saw him as Patrick Jane, not 'The poor guy who got his family killed,' a label he was always afraid she would give him when he was unguarded around her.

She sighed. "Fine."

He grinned. "Ok. Someone I can trust."

She sighed. "That would be…Grace, Sophie Miller, Hightower and I?"

He couldn't help but smirk when she left out Kristina Frye.

He continued, "Very good. Now, someone strong."

She thought for a moment. "Um, I think that would still be all four of us…"

He raised his eyebrows. She thought for a moment more, before saying, "If you meant physically, that just leaves Grace, Hightower and I."

She blushed slightly. He grinned and continued, "Good. Someone at peace with themselves?"

She immediately answered, "That's not really anyone."

He shook his head, amused. "That's both you and Grace."

She smiled at that. "Thanks," she whispered. He nodded and continued, "Someone better than me?"

She hesitated. He smiled and said, "Ok, I'll answer that for you, too: Both of you."

She frowned at that. He didn't give her a chance to argue, instead letting his face fill with seriousness. "Someone who's seen that worst sides of me, and still loves me?"

She then knew whom he was talking about. But she didn't blush. She just looked at him, wonderment filling her eyes. "Jane…"

He smiled sadly. "At least, I hope, although I understand if she doesn't."

She didn't find it at all strange that he hadn't admitted it was her yet. He wanted her to first.

She walked over to him slowly. She paused for a moment. She wasn't really sure about what to say. After all, if she was too honest, it could work out badly for their friendship, but if she lied, it wouldn't do good things for it either. Finally, taking the last few steps, she decided that he had been totally honest whit her-she would do the same with him.

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She does," she murmured.

He smiled and replied teasingly, "Well, that's good, because if she didn't, that would make the situation rather awkward, don't you think?"

She laughed. "Yeah…"

He continued, his voice still light and teasing, "You know, I wonder what she would do if I kissed her right now?"

He gauged her reaction. A blush, a small smile, her eyes lighter.

That was all her needed to know.

He leaned in slowly, giving her time to walk away if she wanted.

She closed the distance between them, though.

Moments passed. Finally, he pulled away.

All that had just happened started to sink into her mind. He watched as the smile vanished, and her eyes closed. She opened them a moment later, and her face was covered in panic.

"This isn't right," she whispered, the look in her eyes pure sadness.

His heart dropped. He had really thought that this was the push they needed. He had really thought that all of their dancing around was over. He opened his mouth, prepared to plead with her, when he noticed her lips curling upward.

He paused, looking at her, confused.

She smirked and stated, "I know we're supposed to go on a date before we kiss."

His mouth dropped open, shocked. But even though she had scared him half to death, he couldn't help join in her laughter.

"What was that for?"

He saw her 'Are you serious?' Look, and sighed. "Never mind."

Then, she continued, "So, give me an hour to go home and change, and then you are taking me to dinner."

He smirked. "Oh, I am?"

She nodded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Yep!"

He shook his head, amazed, as the two walked out of the attic. "Fine."

The two laughed.

Little did they know that a very dear friend and co-worker of theirs had sat up a camera in that room. Or that at that very moment, their three co-workers were watching from another room, and that the smirking read-head commented, as the two men begrudgingly handed her fifty dollars a piece, "I told you guys the first time I saw them together."

"Yes you did," the stoic man replied, "Yes you did."

**A/N: About the ending…I couldn't resist. Really, I couldn't. So, show of hands, who thought he was talking about Lisbon? I mean, on the show? **

**Anyway, since he wasn't, we have FanFiction yes? **

**So, since I really can't think of a creative request for reviews, I'll just say 'The magic word,' "Please." LOL**


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